M50 signage to update drivers on journey times

REAL-TIME OVERHEAD messages advising drivers of travel times to their destinations are to be in place on Dublin’s M50 within a matter of weeks.

The overhead “variable message” signs will be in place before every junction by the end of next month.

They will be used to advise motorists of expected travel times to a range of selected destinations such as regional cities, Dublin airport, the Border and destinations within Northern Ireland.

The system operates by using automatic number plate recognition to track vehicles as they pass various points along the motorway network.

It then calculates the resulting journey times and flashes this information on overhead gantries to motorists.

While it is possible to signal travel times as far as Galway or Cork, it is understood the emphasis will be on shorter destinations along the M50 and radial routes from it.

The extension of real-time information follows a successful cross-Border trial since 2008 on the M1 between Dublin and Belfast.

It also follows an EU directive on the use by member states of intelligent transport systems.

Intelligent transport systems are also to be the subject of a one-day conference in Dublin today, organised by the Intelligent Transport Systems Association of Ireland.

The measure is just one of a number of technological improvements that such systems are set to bring to Irish roads over coming years.

The National Roads Authority is planning a control centre based in the Port Tunnel control centre in Dublin. It will gather information that may be of use to drivers across the motorway network. This will include weather conditions, temperature, possible diversions, traffic congestion, travel time and the speed of individual cars.

The speed feature operates using automatic number plate recognition to advise a driver of their speed, flashing both the vehicle registration and the speed on the overhead gantry.

While the system has considerable potential for gardaí, a spokesman for the roads authority said information collected would not be used in motoring prosecutions and would be collected purely for statistical purposes.

In addition to 22 variable message signs to be installed on the M50, 24 similar signs have been installed on major routes across the country.

The automatic vehicle recognition cameras are aimed at the centre lanes only; they will exclude the extreme left auxiliary lane and the extreme right overtaking lane.

The authority said if the calculated travel times were quicker than the speed limit, times would not be displayed.

The system is due to go live at the end of next month.